Bob Knight went on Mike and Mike in the Morning and defended his good friend Jim Tressel Wednesday morning, who has been accused breaking NCAA rules.

Is that not the pot calling the kettle black, with Knight’s previous strong dislike of cheaters?

Knight has publicly berated cheaters. One particular statement he made about cheating in college basketball drew much attention in a 2008 interview.

“If you get caught cheating, they should shoot you,” Knight said. “Because you’re too dumb to be alive.”

In the interview Wednesday, Knight repeatedly backed Tressel. When asked about the punishment Ohio State gave Tressel, (2 game suspension and $250,000 fine) Knight had a little different opinion on cheaters.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” Knight said. “I think if something like that comes up, it is not the most noticeable of rules. It’s a rather obscure rule. And they’ll say, ‘well, he should know all of the rules.’ Nobody, God himself, could not quote every rule in the NCAA law book. In fact, God would call on the disciples to decipher it for him.”

Dammit Bobby! Why do you have to be such a hypocrite? Tell how you appreciate him and then make no further comment, or simply say he messed up, but don’t defend a cheater after you have publicly tarnished all others that have cheated in the past.

According to ESPN.com, Ex-Wolverine quarterback Tate Forcier has announced some schools in his short list that he is considering transferring to. These schools include Miami, Washington, Baylor, San Diego State, Middle Tennessee State, and New Mexico. He’s also considering smaller schools such as Montana, South Carolina State and Florida A&M. If I am any of these schools I would have to pass on the opportunity to get Forcier, and here’s why: he has a history of skipping offseason workouts, he was ruled academically ineligible for the Gator Bowl, and he can be a big distraction.

In the Summer of 2010 Forcier was replaced as the starter of the Michigan Wolverines because, unlike Denard Robinson, Forcier was skipping offseason workouts. This might not seem like a huge problem at first, but what is the message that he is sending the team. How do the seniors feel about a sophomore, who’s also the starting QB, skipping workouts? I know if I’m a senior and it’s my last season, then I’m going to give everything I have and I would expect the underclassmen to do the same.

Also, Forcier was ruled academically ineligible for the 2011 Gator Bowl. There is no good excuse for being ruled academically ineligible, unless there’s family problems or an extended leave that causes the student to miss much of the semester. Forcier was not allowed to play due to 2 incomplete grades. When a student gets an incomplete grade, it’s not because he or she failed, it’s because they just flat out didn’t do the work.

How arrogant do you have to be to go to a fine university such as Michigan, take classes taught by above average, maybe even some of the best professors, and not at least do the work they assigned. This is embarrassing on Forcier’s part and tells a lot about his work ethic.

Forcier also can become a distraction if he is not happy. In a post-game press conference after the Connecticut game he told AnnArbor.com’s Mike Rothstein he didn’t want to be in Ann Arbor any longer.

“All you need to know is I’m out,” Forcier said.

As a head coach you want a player with the skill set of Tate Forcier, but no one should have to put up with attitude he brings to a team. He seems arrogant and in a good functioning locker room there’s no room for arrogance. Forcier should come with a buyer beware sticker!

Did Jay Cutler cop out in Sunday’s NFC championship game? Could he have gone back in the game after his sprained MCL against the Packers? Only Cutler and the team doctors know, but what I do know is that the NFC championship was on the line. It is the gateway to the Super Bowl. As a professional athlete, the ultimate goal is to win championships, and Cutler may have passed up on one of those opportunities.

At first glance, one must question Cutler’s physical toughness, but in the post game press conference veteran linebacker Brian Urlacher stood up for Cutler.

“Jay was hurt,” Urlacher said. “I don’t question his toughness. He’s tough as hell. He’s one of the toughest guys on our football team. He doesn’t bitch. He doesn’t complain when he gets hit. He goes out there and plays his ass off every Sunday. He practices every single day. So, no, we don’t question his toughness.”

After Urlacher defended Cutler, I dropped all my concerns of his physical toughness.

What about his mental toughness? This is where Cutler slipped Sunday. After coming back out of the game in the 3rd quarter, Cutler just mentally checked out. He mentally threw in the towel. Instead of supporting his team or even helping third string quarterback Caleb Hanie. There was a shot on TV of Hanie dissecting photos of the Packers defense after a drive while Cutler sat beside him staring off. The least Cutler could do is help Hanie.

As the Chicago Bears look forward to next season, they must put this behind them. Cutler made his mistake. I hope he learns from it and moves forward. The Bears are a solid team and should make noise again in the 2012 playoffs.